Minnesota Legislature from Minnesota Public Radio

Chairman's spending decisions on insiders helped lead to GOP debt

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 05:00:00 -0600

Tony Sutton, a Republican leader with 25 years of hard-earned respect from the party that prides itself on fiscal discipline, awarded contracts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to consultants, lawmakers, candidates and party insiders over the course of nearly 30 months as state party chairman, contributing to the financial wreckage the party is trying to fix today.

Vikings stadium FAQ

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:57:55 -0600

Questions and answers about the proposals for building a new stadium for the Minnesota Vikings.

Former leaders offer views on Minnesota's future

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600

A former GOP speaker of the House, former DFL Senate majority leader, former GOP Senate minority leader and a former state finance commissioner join Gary Eichten to talk about the state of the state.

Senjem: Koch should remain in Senate

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 14:16:24 -0600

Newly elected Senate Republican Majority Leader Dave Senjem says he thinks his predecessor, Amy Koch, should continue to serve in the Minnesota Senate through the end of her term.

Minn. GOP left shaky after Sen. Koch steps down

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 15:01:13 -0600

Amy Koch's abrupt resignation as majority leader had already thrown Senate Republicans for a loop - now the Minnesota GOP must deal with the scandal as an election year approaches.

Dayton, state lawmakers want credit for budget surplus

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 04:00:00 -0600

Gov. Mark Dayton and state lawmakers are headed into the 2012 legislative session with a budget surplus, news that has a lot of elected and appointed officials taking credit for the state's return to the black. But much of the $876 million surplus has little to do with the actions taken in the past year.

Minn. shutdown costs offset by cut state worker pay, report says

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 11:37:01 -0600

Minnesota finance officials released a report Tuesday that says last summer's 20-day state government shutdown had a minimal cost to the state.

State report to tally price of Minn. shutdown

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:24:24 -0600

Was Minnesota's 20-day government shutdown a money saver or budget drain? The Department of Minnesota Management and Budget plans to answer that question Tuesday with a report detailing costs and savings during the July standoff.

Koch open to using Legacy funds for stadium

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 08:12:17 -0500

Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch said Thursday she would consider using money from the state's Legacy Amendment for a Vikings stadium.

State likely to face another deficit

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 06:00:00 -0500

Economic growth in Minnesota is slowing to the point that Gov. Mark Dayton and the Legislature will likely have to overcome another budget deficit, state economist Tom Stinson told lawmakers on Thursday.

Vikings' Berrian tells stadium deal co-author to "shut up" on Twitter

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 07:37:06 -0500

Rep. John Kriesel, who is active on Twitter, took the exchange in stride. In one tweet, he said he was amused by the criticism and said he deserved it.

Gov. Dayton, GOP Legislature point fingers for unpopular compromise

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:08:16 -0500

Nearly three months after reaching a budget deal to erase a $5 billion deficit and end a state government shutdown, Gov. Mark Dayton and leaders of the Republican-controlled Legislature are blaming each other for the unpopular pieces of the agreement.

Questions swirl around details of tobacco bond sales

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 04:00:00 -0500

Questions remain about details of the tobacco bonds that Minnesota finance officials are preparing to sell as part of the state budget.

18 Minn. lawmakers got shutdown pay retroactively

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 11:17:12 -0500

Eighteen Minnesota House members who declined paychecks during last month's state government shutdown went back for the money.

State budget doubles cost to counties to commit sex offenders

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 04:00:00 -0500

The new state budget will double costs to counties for committed sex offenders, and some say that may affect how those criminal cases are handled.